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Proper and adequate Infrastructure in schools is crucial requirements to enhance the quality of education. Infrastructure directly impacts the quality of teaching and enhances the scope of learning. A good infrastructure provides a better environment for learning. Enhancement of school infrastructure in the areas which are not developed impacts the growth and learning of the children and leads to impacting the community to which the children belong. A community which has the benefit of having proper education will always develop and be able to overcome hurdles and find solutions.

Companies as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility spend a major portion on education and infrastructure development. Providing infrastructure to schools shouldn’t only limit to providing desks, benches, repairing the conditions of the prevailing structure of the schools. India is thriving towards “Digital India” and schools are an excellent platform to start with. The corporates interested in working towards providing better education should invest in digitalizing the government schools by providing digital infrastructure in the form of digital classrooms, computer labs, science labs, effective teachers technology learning platforms in rural and urban, which are easy to operate and not technically heavy. This will definitely increase the attention span of students and decrease absenteeism, increase teachers effectiveness. Corporates could in a big way contribute towards increasing computer literacy programs related to school curriculum by providing supplementary computer education programs.

What is EDU-CARE?

“Edu-care” is a part of Henkel CSR initiative in India. Henkel have always supported and taken up social activities and causes in the areas of education and environment. This project focuses on providing infrastructure support to needy government schools located close to Henkel’s plants/ offices for holistic development of the children. Henkel India partnered with EDREST in conceptualizing and implementation of the Edu-care project. EDREST is the implementation partner for Henkel India’s national programs.

EDREST identified around 750 schools all over India which was close to Henkel’s plants to map the infrastructure requirements in the schools. The number of school trickled down to 250 after discussion and later to 75. Finally, the baseline was conducted on 20 schools located in Western region near Henkel plants in Turbhe, Thane, Jejuri, and Kurkhumb of Maharashtra. EDREST conducted a baseline study to present the absolute precondition of the schools selected and the detailed requirement in each school. EDREST captured data related to requirement of Digital class, Toilets and Hygiene situation, Classroom Ambience, Recreational Activity, Mid-day meal, Computer literacy, Portable drinking water, Digitalisation of school administration and Science Laboratory, including repair and maintenance. The baseline survey was submitted to Henkel and approval for digital classrooms, toilets construction and portable drinking water were sanctioned.

Presently, the digital classrooms and computer centers has been installed and the construction of toilets and portable drinking water is in progress.

Below is the complete roadmap of EDREST execution strategies for Edu-care: